How to Get Rid of Love Handles Through Exercise, Diet, and, as a Last Resort Plastic Surgery
Love handles, the fat deposits around the waist and back, are a common area of frustration for many looking to slim down. While genetics plays a role in where your body stores fat, the good news is you can take action to reduce your love handles through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. With some diligence and consistency, you can lose those pesky love handles.
Exercise
Exercise is essential for shedding love handle fat. Combining aerobic activity, strength training, and core work will give you a full-body workout to burn calories and specifically target your obliques and back muscles.
We discuss some exercise tips that can help to get rid of love handles. Still, before you begin any exercise, speaking with a medical professional is vital to determine what exercises are best for you.
So, let us begin.
Moderate Activity
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly, like brisk walking, jogging, cycling or swimming. This elevates your heart rate to burn fat all over.
Strength
Next, incorporate strength moves 2-3 times a week to build muscle mass, raising your metabolism to torch more fat. Focus on compound exercises using multiple large muscle groups like squats, lunges, rows, shoulder presses, pull-ups and pushups. Use dumbbells or resistance bands to add weight and intensity. Do 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps targeting all major muscle groups.
Core
Add core exercises to target the rectus abdominis and obliques along the sides, which will cinch your waistline. Planks, crunches, side planks, Russian twists, dead bugs and hollow body holds strengthen and tone your midsection. Aim for 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps of moves like these about three times weekly.
Cardio
Up your cardio to include high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, 1-2 times weekly. HIIT involves short bursts of maximum effort followed by brief recovery periods. Sprint for 30 seconds, then walk for 60-90 seconds, repeating for 15-20 minutes. This fires up your metabolism and burns more fat compared to steady-state cardio.
Diet
Eat a reduced-calorie, nutrient-dense diet to lose fat all over your body, including your love handles. Aim for a 500 daily calorie deficit to lose about 1 pound weekly. Fill up on low-energy-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, beans and low-fat dairy. These provide volume and nutrients without tons of calories.
Limit added sugar, refined carbs and unhealthy fats, which can lead to fat storage around the midsection. Stay adequately hydrated by drinking water instead of calorie-laden beverages. Avoid excess alcohol, which is high in calories but low in nutrients. Keep portion sizes reasonable to prevent overeating.
Manage your weight with a calorie tracking app and use a body fat scale to track your body composition. Stay patient and consistent with your diet and exercise efforts.
Rest
Get adequate rest and keep stress in check, as elevated cortisol can drive fat to your midsection. Make sleep a priority, aiming for 7-9 hours per night, and adopt stress management techniques like meditation, yoga or deep breathing.
Nonsurgical
If diet and exercise aren’t giving you the love handle reduction you want, nonsurgical body contouring is an option.
Coolsculpting
CoolSculpting is an FDA-cleared fat-freezing treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat. A device is applied to the treatment area, gently cooling the underlying fat, triggering fat cell death and elimination from the body.
Treatments last 35 minutes, with no downtime needed. Many see a 20-25% fat reduction after a single treatment. Additional sessions can further improve results. It can work for men and women in areas like love handles, belly, back and thighs.
Side effects such as temporary numbing, redness, bruising or tingling are mild. Results become noticeable after 2-4 months as the body can naturally eliminate dead fat cells.
Plastic Surgery
Surgery can be the most effective way to eliminate love handles, as exercise and diet can be challenging for many. However, it is the most invasive option. But remember, if you choose an excellent plastic surgeon, the result can far outweigh your thoughts and the downtime of an invasive surgery. Here we list a few options to get rid of love handles.
Liposuction
Liposuction is an excellent choice to eliminate love handles and stubborn fat deposits that diet and exercise will not help as these localized fat deposits can be resistant to a fitness routine and healthy diet.
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is another procedure to remove love handles as it removes excess skin and tightens the underlying muscles.
Body Contouring Post Weight Loss
Body contouring post-weight loss are common procedures for those with excess loose skin. The need can happen after bariatric surgery and giving birth. Unfortunately, for many, no amount of exercise and dieting will help. To learn more about body contouring post weight loss procedures, contact a top-rated plastic surgeon to learn your options.
Say Goodbye To Love Handles: Contact for Proven Solutions
Getting rid of love handles takes commitment, but the payoff is a slimmer, more sculpted figure. A regular workout routine and healthy diet can help some, as others may need a more invasive approach.
If you hate your love handles and want to learn the best way to eliminate them, contact The Plastic Surgery Group in Montclair, New Jersey. Let our top-rated plastic surgeons provide you with the best options for you.
Kiss your love handles goodbye for good.
